A Strange Letter
by MASH mad
Summary: A Complete Story! Hawkeye recieves a strange letter. noone knows who its from or what it says but it changes him and the others are worried. This is my first story so please R&R but be kind.
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hi, this is my first story. I hope you like it. I'm looking for a beta so if you can help me let me know!!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters (as much as I'd like to) but the story is mine. 

Enjoy!!

Chapter 1

It was a cold day at the 4077th, there was heavy wounded and everyone (including Igor) was helping out. But it wasn't your typical OR session.

Everything was quiet; all you could hear was the clanging of the surgical instruments. Hawkeye had gone strangely silent. He was operating on a Korean boy. He couldn't have been more than 12. Margaret was assisting. Every once in a while she gave him a concerning glance but every one went unnoticed. Hawkeye never spoke except to ask for an instrument. He seemed to be in a daze. Margaret knew something was up. She decided to have a word with him when they'd finished.

After 19 hours of surgery, Margaret tried to get some hint of what was wrong with him. He just said nothing. Not even to BJ or Potter. He didn't even make his usual joke to Radar as he passed him in the compound. He just walked back to the swamp, still in a daze, and laid in his cot.

That evening, after Hawkeye was asleep, Margaret called everyone to her tent. There was BJ, Col. Potter, Radar, Klinger and Father Mulcahy. Everyone was very concerned, no-one had ever seen him like that before, not even when Henry died or Trapper left. Margaret had a feeling his actions had something to do with a letter that Hawkeye had received that morning.. She hadn't read it and neither had the others. It wasn't from anywhere they recognised (even Hawkeye didn't know what it was). They all knew it was something major.  When they all sat there you could see a small tear falling from Radar's face. They all picked up on this. Potter went and sat beside him and gently said "What's wrong Son?"

A soft shakey voice replied "What if he's not fighting anymore? Maybe he's just given up; maybe he can't hide behind the jokes anymore. W…….W…….What if…….." Radar stopped. His face was covered with the tears streaming down from his eyes. He wasn't the only one. None of them had a dry eye. They just sat in the tent in silence, much as it was earlier in the OR. Then the silence was suddenly broken by a loud scream coming from the swamp. They all raced there to find Hawkeye laying in his cot shaking, covered in a cold sweat with tears streaming down his face. From that point on they all knew something major had to be done, quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Here's chapter two. The bold writing is Hawkeye's thoughts.**

Chapter 2

It had been a month since Hawkeye had woken up screaming. Everyone was still worried**; Hawkeye hadn't been out of the swamp and still no oneknew what was in the letter. Sidney Friedman had been called in by the others. He'd been talking to Hawkeye everyday and even he didn't know what was going on. Sidney was the only person Hawkeye would talk to and that took a lot of negotiation. Margaret visited him everyday hoping to get some sign so she could help. **

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Hawkeye lay in his cot. Thinking. He knew Sidney would be along soon. He couldn't face him. Not today. He didn't feel like talking. He had to get out of there.

**_I've got to make a plan. I want to break away. I can't take much more of this, the non stop wounded, standing in pools of blood day after day.…………I know, I'll go in the next lot of wounded. No-one will miss me. I'll just pack a bag and run. They'll all be busy with the wounded. As long as I can get outside the camp. I'll be fine_****. **

At that point, Sidney walked through the door. Hawkeye just turned over and pretended to be asleep. Sidney knew what he was doing so instead of the usual: "Hi Hawkeye, how are we today?" He just sat in the chair next to him and helped himself to a martini from the still. 

Hawkeye felt so depressed. Who would have though a letter could do this to him? Its only paper and ink, yet its had such a big impact. He doesn't recognise himself anymore. Hawkeye is a funny guy who makes wise cracks at any given chance, not someone who feels depressed over a letter, someone who can't leave his tent because he can't face his friends. He should be talking to them, not avoiding them.

Then over the radio came what Hawkeye had been waiting for: "Incoming wounded. All medical teams to the OR. Sorry guys but this is going to be a long one."

Hawkeye couldn't help but smile. Usually when he heard that he felt sick. He hated it. But now he was overcome with joy. He knew this could be his only chance to escape. As he heard the commotion coming from the OR**, he packed a few essentials, checked the coast was clear and ran. He didn't take any last looks back. He just ran past Rosie's bar, until the camp was far in the distance. The sky was beginning to get darker so he found a place to rest and hide. He wondered if anybody would miss him.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Chapter 3 is here. I hope you like it. Sorry for saying he a lot but I just couldn't think what else to put. Now I've said my piece, all that's left to say is Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

BJ, Potter and Sidney finally emerged from the OR. After a twentyhour stint with non-stop wounded**;** they decided to go and have a drink from the still When they got there they found that Hawkeye was gone**, along with a picture of his father and a few other things. They couldn't believe it. They searched the camp high and low but there was no sign of him. They couldn't believe the person who had been unable to leave his tent for a month has gone AWOL. **

Immediately they organised a search party and Radar notified the MP's to keep a lookout. 

****************************************

Meanwhile, Hawkeye was awakening from his sleep. It took him a minute to realise where he was. Once it had registered**, he felt relieved that he had managed to escape. He knew that by now someone would know he was missing so he started to walk. **

He didn't have the strength to carry everything. This meant he had to give up something. He found it hard, but he decided to give up his father's picture. It was in a solid silver frame which made his load much lighter when he took it out. By it he left a note saying**: **

"Dad, I'm sorry I had to leave you but you will always be with me. To Everyone. I'm sorry I left**, but I can't take the war anymore. It's screwing with so many peoples lives. **

To Margaret. I love you, right from the first minute I saw you and I always will. So now I say goodbye and farewell as I continue my journey. 

Love Hawkeye"

With that he ran. ****

It seemed like hours until he reached anywhere. He came across a hut. It reminded him of the time he and Margaret had spent alone when the 8063rd bugged out. He went inside. It was empty. There was a bed which looked so inviting. He felt so weak, he couldn't resist. Within seconds he was asleep and unable to notice that coming up the road was a troupe of enemy soldiers.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N This is chapter 4, sorry its taken a while! Been busy with Coursework but here it is now! Please review me; I'm still looking for a beta! 

Chapter 4

Radar was back at camp waiting nervously by the phone and radio. Col. Potter and Charles were out looking with a few of the nurses whilst BJ was in a search party with Margaret and a few enlisted men. They had decided to take to take a way through the hills as BJ thought he may want to hide; everyone followed him as they all knew BJ knew Hawkeye best.

They had been searching for hours; Margaret seemed to be holding things together. BJ found it hard to stay awake but he knew he had to go on and find Hawkeye, after all, if the situation was reversed he knew Hawkeye would be doing everything possible. Just then BJ saw something glinting in the sun. He got out of the jeep to see what it was. When he picked it up he saw it was a photo in a frame. He knew who it was.

"Margaret! Margaret! Do you know who this is?"

"Its………."

"….Yes, Daniel Pierce, it's Hawkeye's father"

BJ could hardly contain his excitement, he knew Hawkeye had been there so they were on the right track.

"Look BJ, there's a note" 

She handed it to BJ. He read it.

"Um……Margaret. There's something in this note for you"

She took the note and wondered what it could be. As she read it, tears started to fall from her eyes. BJ put his arm around her as she cried. She didn't care that the enlisted men were watching. Right now she was Margaret Houlihan the women, not the army Major that everyone knew. She wanted Hawkeye with her now, she felt the same way about him. That's why she had visited Hawkeye everyday. She stood there and tried to pull herself together.

"Margaret, I've let Potter know what we've found. As long as you're ok, I'd like to go on."

"Yes, of course. We must find him."

They then drove off. BJ was driving. Margaret sat in the seat next to him. She wondered if Hawkeye would be alright, she also wondered if they'd be ok. What if they wondered across the enemy?

She kept these feelings to herself and sat still in the jeep looking for anymore signs of where Hawkeye was.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Sorry this story is coming along slowly! I have written up to chapter 8 so if you bare with me I'll get the chapters up as soon as I can. But for now enjoy chapter 5.

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Chapter 5

The enemy entered the hut. They must have missed Hawkeye laying there. They didn't seem to want to stay as none of them seemed to settle. They were leaving when they heard Hawkeye groan in his sleep. They headed straight for him whilst shouting things in Korean. All this commotion woke Hawkeye up. He thought he was back in the swamp as he shouted:

"Shut up Beej!"

He sat up and opened his eyes to see the Korean soldiers. He froze. Too scared to move. They had guns pointing straight at him. He longed to be back at the 4077th. He knew he hated it, everyone does, but anything was better than having guns pointed in your face. If there was something he really feared it was guns. His heart raced. He felt sick. He didn't know what was going to happen.

The soldiers put their guns down. They pulled Hawkeye off the bed and marched him out of the hut. He had a flashback of when BJ and him came across 'Ralph' when they had got lost. Hawkeye would have laughed if he wasn't too scared of the consequences.

Hawk was now regretting going AWOL but he didn't know what else to do at the time. He had to get away. That letter had torn him apart. Even thinking about it made him feel sick. "How could someone so young do that?" He thought. "I tried to help him, I know I did."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Potter had sent the nurses, who had previously been searching with him and Charles, to help Margaret and BJ. Whilst he sent Charles back to camp and he went up in a chopper to see if he could see anything.

Margaret and BJ were just awakening as they decided they would be no use to Hawkeye half asleep. They were still exhausted but knew they had to find him. They all got into the jeeps (by now the nurses had caught up with them) and set off. They always travelled in silence, partly because they had nothing to say and partly because they were all worried that they may cross into enemy territory.

BJ was concerned for Hawkeye, what if the enemy had got him?

Margaret just thought about the note. The words just rolled around her head. She imagined him saying them. Not in his usual jokey way but in a more sensitive way, one which they rarely saw at the 4077th. The only time she'd ever seen it in public was when Henry died and Trapper left. It was at these times when she really loved him. She knew he was vulnerable but she also knew she loved him. Every insult made her love him even more. They had been through a lot together, after all, they had been there the longest. They had seen countless wounded and even been in enemy territory together, yet never managed to become an item.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N It's back to Hawkeye again

Chapter 7

I think I've marched for miles. I don't know what they're going to do to me but I wish they'd get it over with. I wonder how BJ is feeling now. If they've found the note Margaret must know how I feel. It's all true, not written on the spur of the moment, I've been feeling that way for a long time. At that moment Hawkeye could hear faint sounds of Artillery. As he marched they became louder. He could see clouds of smoke all around him.

The sounds of the shelling were overwhelming, the enemy soldiers picked up the pace. They must be hurrying to a hide out. There were shells exploding everywhere, until they just seemed to stop. All of a sudden there was an enormous explosion. It must've been close. There was blood everywhere. Hawkeye could hardly seem to move, he managed to turn his head to see the soldiers badly wounded, if not dead. His eyes then seemed to become hazy; he couldn't make anything out until he just blacked out.

They all lay there, waiting to be found. Dead or Alive.

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Radar was in his office when the phone rang, Col. Potter had just got back from his fifth trip pout in the chopper, Radar answered.

"Sir, we're expecting heavy casualties, mostly enemy soldiers. Could be any time soon."

"Damn, ok Radar. Go get Major Winchester and tell him to prepare. Then go find Sidney and see if he's up to surgery. When you've done that; radio BJ and Margaret to see if they've got any more news."

"Ok Sir!"

Radar left his office and acted upon his orders. When the wounded arrived, they were ready despite staff being missing. They were mostly enemy soldiers in the first wave, but when the second wave arrived nothing could prepare them for what they saw. In the ambulance a familiar kaki uniform stood out from the rest. Radar went to investigate; there was blood all over them. He then got a look at the face. It was Hawkeye. He called Col. Potter but before he arrived Radar fainted. It was just too much for him. He's usually alright with it, but when you see one of your closest friends laying there it just seems different. 

When Potter saw him he didn't know what to think. On one hand they had finally found him, on the other hand, would there be a welcome home or a goodbye to say?

He put Winchester to operate on him, Potter didn't feel up to it and definitely neither did Sidney. When Radar came around he was straight onto the radio to BJ and Margaret, they were heading straight back and asked to be informed on his condition.

Hawkeye had a lot of shrapnel in his chest. Some of it was near his heart. The OR was silent, much like the day everything started. Charles seemed to be holding it together, it took an hour before he finished working on him. He was taken to post op where, for now, he seemed to be ok but Charles ordered a nurse to watch him constantly for any changes. It was early hours before BJ, Margaret and the others returned. BJ and Margaret headed straight for post op where he was still stable. They kept a vigil by his bedside for hours until they found themselves falling asleep. They were then ordered to their tents for rest, if anything should happen they would be woken up immediately.

Nurse Kelleye was given the duty of watching Hawkeye. Half an hour into her shift Hawkeye was having trouble breathing. BJ, Margaret and Charles were ordered over immediately. They watch in despair, unsure of what the problem was, until Hawkeye finally stopped breathing.

"Margaret, is there a pulse?"

"No"

BJ then started resuscitating him

"1………2……..3…….4………5………"


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Sorry this has taken a month, I've had trouble writing this and I've been busy with my GCSE's.

**Chapter 8**

****

Fifteen minutes had past. BJ was still trying to resuscitate him. The whole camp had gathered outside post-op. Radar was waiting in his office for any news. He had seen people being resuscitated many times but this was just too much for him. What if the unthinkable happened and Hawkeye died? Radar quickly started shuffling and sorting the files. Anything to keep his mind off Hawkeye laying there.

Twenty minutes had now past. BJ came walking through the doors from post-op and collapsed on the bed.

"Sir"

"Not now Radar"

"Sir is………….is Hawkeye alright?"

No answer, Col Potter then entered.

"Leave him be Radar, and yes Hawkeye is ok, just barely though. For now he's stable"

"Thank God"

"Yes, thank God indeed." Colonel Potter then grabbed the microphone, "Attention. Attention, all personnel. I would like to inform you that our dear friend Hawkeye is stable for now. Thank You."

As the old man fell back in his chair a cheer arose from the compound.

Over the next few days, Hawkeye was listed as critical but was getting stronger all the time.

A week later Hawkeye woke up. The nurse didn't notice until she heard:

"Hey good looking, why don't you slide over here and share this bunk?"

For once, one of Hawkeye's cheesy chat up lines seemed to bring nothing but joy to the nurse's face. BJ and Margaret then rushed over to see him.

"Hi Hawk, how are you feeling? You know we looked for you for days."

"Really? How do you think I'm feeling Beej?"

"Hi Pierce"

"Aaaaaah Margaret, did you by any chance find a note?"

"Well, um. Yes"

"And?"

"And we'll talk about it later. In private."

"Talk about what Major?"

"Hi Colonel, this is turning into a real party."

"So how are you Pierce?"

"Physically, not so good."

"Mentally?"

"Is Sydney still around Colonel?" 

"Yes Son, I'll send him over if you want?"

"Yeah, that'd be great but can you send him tomorrow? I don't want to be a party pooper or anything but I'm feeling tired"

"Ok Son, we'll let you get some rest."

"Bye Hawk"

"Bye Beej"

"See you Pierce"

"Thanks for coming Margaret"

*********Outside***********

"So Colonel, How do you think he is? I mean mentally."

"Well………………………………."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N Sorry this is late getting to you but I have been really busy with getting prepared for my GCSE's. Sorry but now its here ENJOY! Please let me know if you want it to be the end. I think it is. Please R&R!!

**Chapter 9**

"Well. You'd have to ask Sydney but I think we've got our old Hawkeye back. There's just one thing Margaret, when he was talking to you his face seemed to light up."

"Well Sir, only BJ, Hawkeye and I know why but hopefully you'll know soon."

The next day Margaret managed to get the private chat with Hawkeye.

"Um……..Hawkeye. About the note"

"Yes Margaret" he said with the famous Pierce cheeky grin.

"Did you………Do you mean every word you said?"

"Every last word"

"Good because…………………………….I feel the same way"

"Really?" His face lit up the same as it had yesterday when he was talking to her.

"Yes" She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Ok, Great. Can I get a little rest now?"

"Oh, Ok. I'm going back to my tent"

"Ok Margaret"

As Margaret left Sydney arrives.

"Hi Hawkeye. How are you feeling? Colonel Potter told me you wanted to talk to me"

"Yes I did. Thanks for coming"

"It's ok. What did you want to talk to me about"

"Well......................(Long Pause)……I wanted to talk to you about why all this started, why I ran off and screwed up in O.R" As he said that that he pulls a letter out of his pocket and handed it to Sydney. Sydney read it.

_Dear __Captain __Pierce__,_

_I am writing to say thank you for you're help. You helped me to decide that if I can't be with my wife then I won't be with anyone. This means that by the time you receive this letter I will be gone. I will be dead. So I would like to thank you once again for helping me decide where my life stand where my life is going._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Corp. __Sam__Hugh_

"Oh Hawkeye! Why didn't you tell someone?"

"I don't know. I guess I thought I could handle it. Obviously I couldn't or I wouldn't be lying here."

"You have managed though"

"How?"

Sitting here you seem like nothings happened. You are the Hawkye I knew. The one who played practical jokes and chased nurses."

"thanks"

"So how do you think you did it?"

"I don't know. I just laid here listening to the wounded. Maybe that had something to do with it?"

"I think it did"

"How?"

"Well, you listening to the wounded have made you remember how you can save lives. Without you a lot of soldiers wouldn't have survived."

"Really? Do you think I'll be alright?"

"Well with a few more sessions you should be alright."

"Ok Sydney. Um…….just one more thing. I'd like to thank you. You've made me realise that life is important. That's why I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago."

"Oh, what?"

"Wait and see. You should know soon though."

"Ok. I'd better go. I'll look forward to whatever it is."

"Ok. Bye Sydney and thanks"

With that Sydney left. Hawkeye asked for a nurse to go and get BJ.

"Hi Beej"

"Hi hawk, what do you want? Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine, I need your help"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well at dinner can you wheel me over to the mess tent and make sure everyone is there. Especially Margaret!"

"Yeah sure. Can I ask, is there going to be any good news?"

"I hope so"

BJ then left to start getting things ready and Hawkeye fell asleep.

At dinner BJ made sure everyone was there. He wheeled Hawkeye in where he was greeted by everyone. Then BJ wheeled him straight to where Margaret, Father Mulcahy, Charles and Colonel Potter were sitting.

"Hiya Son, How are you?"

"I'm ok sir, uh….would you excuse me a minute Colonel? Margaret, can you come and stand over here please?"

"Um……Ok" Margaret moved so she was standing infront of him.

"Margaret Houlihan. I love you. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" Those words made the tent fall silent and all eyes were upon the couple.

"Um….I would have to say…….YES! I love you to."

The whole camp cheered.

"Congratulations Son"

"Thanks Father. Thanks for your help Beej. Now Margaret, I haven't got you a ring but when I get a chance I'll get you the best one I can find. One that will compare to your beauty"

"Oh, Hawkeye"

"Margaret. I don't mean to spoil the party but this should be in post-op"

"Ok Sir, I'll take him back."

"Alright Margaret and Congratulations to both of you."

That night BJ and Colonel Potter were talking in the swamp in between Martini's

"Who'd have thought that Margaret and Hawkeye would get married."

"I know Sir. You know what?"

"What?"

"I suspected something ever since they returned from their trip when the 8063rd bugged out"

"You know what. Me too!"


End file.
